CHARGERS: The best and worst of 50 years of Bolts football

To celebrate the Chargers' 50th season, the North County Times
reflects on 25 cherished memories and 25 recollections Chargers
fans would rather forget.

Top 25

1. Super Chargers

The NFL's 75th season was toasted in a Super way by the
Chargers, who advanced to the first ---- and only ---- Super Bowl
in franchise history in January 1995.

2. Champs

The Chargers have claimed one league title in 49 seasons, and it
came in 1963, when they pounded the Boston Patriots 51-10 to win
the AFL championship.

3. Moving south

After their inaugural season in Los Angeles, the Chargers and
team owner Barron Hilton ---- yep, Paris' grandfather ---- were
lured to San Diego with the prospect of playing at Balboa Stadium
in front of fans starved for a professional team to call their
own.

4. Sir Sid

Coach Sid Gillman gave the franchise instant credibility when he
switched from the Rams to the Chargers for their debut in 1960. He
also revolutionized the game with his aggressive passing game,
which did wonders to sell the AFL as an exciting alternative to the
conservative NFL.

5. Air Coryell

Don Coryell picked up the mantle left behind years earlier by
Gillman and filled the San Diego skies with passes and AFC West
titles.

6. It is what it is

General manager A.J. Smith, building on the foundation laid by
close friend John Butler, flipped the Chargers' roster and
transformed the team from a doormat to one of the NFL's most
successful teams of the decade.

7. Horse, of course

Remember the white Chargers horse that once rode around Balboa
Stadium during games?

8. By George, a legend

George Pernicano, a famous local restaurateur, was among the
business leaders who helped get the Chargers to San Diego. He
remains a minority owner and, to many around the league, the face
of the Chargers as a rare link to their AFL days.

9. Stan the Man

Among GM Bobby Beathard's greatest trades was acquiring
quarterback Stan Humphries from the Redskins in the wake of John
Friesz blowing out his knee in the 1992 preseason opener. Humphries
led the Chargers to the Super Bowl in the 1994 season.

10. Say wow

Homegrown product Junior Seau was like a Tasmanian devil roaming
the field. A 12-time Pro Bowler, he has a spot in the Pro Football
Hall of Fame that's all but guaranteed ---- if he ever officially
retires.

11. Welcome home

The sight of a packed Jack Murphy Stadium will long burn in the
hearts of Chargers faithful after the team upset the Steelers in
1994 AFC Championship Game. It was an outpouring of Chargers
support never seen before or since.

12. Bambi

Lance Alworth was one of San Diego's first stars, making
headlines with acrobatic catches that defied gravity. Despite his
small stature, Alworth turned in one big game after another on his
way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

13. Charlie says

Charlie Joiner always said, 'Do it right the first time,' and he
did. Has there ever been a more reliable route-runner than Joiner,
who led the NFL in career receptions when he retired? He's now a
Chargers coach, and the younger generation would be wise to listen
to this class act.